Flight planning apps offer pilots help

March 17, 2014

ByBenét J. Wilson

As more flight planning tasks become automated, pilots can choose from dozens of apps to help them prepare for a flight. Below are five flight planning apps that can help. These are not endorsements of any app.

CAP Preflight (free in iTunes)—For Civil Air Patrol cadets and officers, this iPhone/iPad app allows users to add aircraft to the database. It also handles tasks including preflight mission paperwork, mission information, the Operational Risk Management worksheet, and weight and balance.

FlightPlan - Pilot's Toolbox ($2.99 in iTunes and $1.99 in Google Play)—This smartphone app serves as an aviation calculator designed to handle E6B functions. It also handles weight and balance calculations and offers METARs and TAFs, airport data, and a windstar calculator.

TFRs: Temporary Flight Restrictions Aviation Pilot NOTAMs ($9.99 in iTunes; subscription required)—This iPhone/iPad app offers users an alternative from the FAA website to quickly check for TFRs across the United States. TFRs, which come from FAA data, are shown on a map in red, and users can search by state or by center.